Bedrock uncovered in test excavation pit
At dinner on Wed July 16, Director Miguel Cao reminded the UP Pollèntia Team that we stood about a 10% chance of seeing the wall and grave from the 1920s excavation uncovered at the spot we predicted; in fact, the Barcelona group often makes several test trenches before success. Imagine our relief today (July 17) when workers returning from Ca’n Fanals at the break brought news that a wall has indeed been found in the test excavation trench, right where the surveying team led by Rachael and Tomeu had predicted. An amazing wrap-up to our two weeks’ work is happening right before our eyes.
UPDATE Friday July 18 2014: This’s morning’s work has revealed more detail in the test excavation trench. The broad swath of rock once thought to be the foundation of an old wall is, in fact, limestone bedrock. The wall tentatively identified at the eastern end of the trench is clearly a wall–or the remains of one–with stucco covering the cut stones used in construction. Most gratifying find of all: Removal of fill over the swath of bedrock has revealed one of the graves excavated by Llabres in the 1920s. Those graves were emptied before the excavation was covered at the start of the Spanish Civil War; probably no one has seen that hewn tomb since that time. See updated grave photos in separate post.
Photo credits this page: Ronda Bard
View of the bedrock and the edge of the hewn tomb just showing toward the center of the test trench
UP Team member Howard Rumjahn inspects soil layers above the bedrock
Turning the corner: the edge of the wall (perpendicular to the southern edge of the trench) is centered in this photo
Test excavation: View of hewn grave from west to east
